Psychotic Love
by A Tragic Romantic
Summary: FF#1: They were boyfriend and girlfriend living in one house, but when an unfortunate incident caused the proclamation of Sasuke's death, Sakura began experiencing depression. But then she met Gaara and fell in love with him after some time, not knowing that he was a psychopathic killer who was good at hiding his true self. SasuSaku, GaaSaku. MinorP: NaruHina, ShikaTema, NejiTen.


**Author's Note:** My first fic, and a GaaSaku+SasuSaku at that. Wish me luck, SasuSaku and GaaSaku fans! Anyway, give me some constructive criticisms, suggestions, ideas, or advice, okay? Thanks a lot. I'm still an amateur at this, but I hope all of you will support me along the way. :)

**Warning:** Unbeta-ed. There might be some grammatical errors.

**Genres:** Romance/Angst/Tragedy/Drama

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. If I did, then Shikamaru and Temari would have some sweet moments, Sasuke would have returned to the village, Gaara would have noticed Sakura more, Naruto would be Hokage, and Neji and Tenten would have feelings for each other.

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**Psychotic Love**

A Tragic Romantic

**ChapI:** My Missing Lover

**x—XxxxX—x**

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"Sasuke, where are you going?"

"That idiot dobe called me just now. He said something about meeting him at the disco."

"Oh… Really?" There was a sad note to her voice, a sort of longing feeling mixed with a sudden loneliness. He noticed this and stopped walking towards the door.

"It's not like I'm going to be gone forever."

"I know that!" She punched him playfully on the shoulder. "But still… You're going to be out all night, aren't you?"

He smirked in amusement. "You're acting like my wife."

She turned tomato-red. "W-What…? N-No! I just... I…"

He was about to say something when his cellphone suddenly beeped. Looking at the object on the table with disgust, he picked it up in a swift motion and placed it next to his ear.

"What?" he said.

"Aw c'mon, _teme_…" Naruto's voice spoke on the other line. He sounded cheerful and his words were slightly slurred.

"Naruto!" Sakura said, grabbing the phone from Sasuke's hand. "You're drinking, aren't you?" she accused. "Are you aware of the fact that you have low tolerance for alcohol? What happened this time? Did Hinata go away on a trip with her family again?"

"Whoa, Sakura-chan, slow down!" Naruto laughed boisterously. Yup, he was definitely _drunk_. "Yes, I am aware that I have a low tolerance for alcohol, and yes, Hinata went on a trip again with her family. But the thing is, she didn't have much of a choice. They're celebrating Neji's engagement to Tenten, so Hinata's parents decided to pay their long-distance relatives a visit and inform them about it."

"How sweet," Sakura gushed. Then her expression suddenly became serious. "But why should you get drunk because of that?"

"Hiashi-sama doesn't approve of me." The bitterness in his voice was clearly distinct in the other line. "He thinks I'm worthless. He said that I'm not good enough for his daughter and that I am still the same criminal as I was long ago."

"But that was cleared up as a misunderstanding!"

"Well, he obviously doesn't believe it…"

Sakura took a deep breath to calm herself down. "All right, let's just let this little issue go." Her voice hardened. "Uzumaki Naruto, drinking is _still_ prohibited for minors like us. We're only seventeen! Well, except for Sasuke, Neji, and Tenten since they're eighteen, but… Do you get my point?"

When he didn't answer, she said softly, "You don't drink. And I'm very sure that someone talked you into this. Who was it?"

"Sakura-chan…"

"_Tell me_."

A sigh escaped Naruto's lips. "It was Kiba."

"_Kiba_!" Sakura huffed. "Just wait till I get my hands on him…"

"_Sakura-chan_."

Sakura's annoyance dissipated after hearing Naruto's calm voice. "Yes?"

"You're right, Sakura-chan," he said in a quiet voice. It was hard to hear him since the loud music was accompanying him as he spoke. "I shouldn't be drinking like this. I promise you that I won't do something like this again." Determination colored his voice.

Sakura let out a sigh of relief. "That's great! Sasuke will come over there in ten minutes to pick you up, okay? Stay here for the night. I have some medicines in the supply closet for drunkenness."

"Cool." She could hear the smile in his voice. "Tell teme to hurry up, then."

"Hold on, I'll let you talk to him." She gave Sasuke back his phone. "Here. Naruto wants to talk to you."

Sasuke took it from her and started to reply in less than six sentences every time Naruto spoke, and Sakura started to chuckle. _Poor Naruto_. She could hear the annoyance in the latter's voice as he started rambling on and on about Sasuke being an emotionless bastard who didn't care about his bestfriend. The latter twitched at that, and he was tempted to end the call if it weren't for Sakura giving him a warning glance.

"All right, all right, I'll go there right now." Sasuke abruptly ended the call and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, that dobe is such an idiot." He then turned to his live-in girlfriend. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he told her. "Do you think you can wait for me?"

Sakura smiled. "Of course. Besides, I miss having Naruto stay here and make me laugh."

Sasuke formed a scowl on his face. "_I_ don't make you laugh?"

Sakura chuckled. "No, that's not what I meant, stupid." She played with the strands of his hair. "You make my heart race. You make me feel alive. You're the only one in this world that I love. That's enough for me." She smiled up at him.

He reached towards her face and caressed her cheek. She blushed, not really used to him giving affection. Gathering up her courage, she stared straight into his eyes. Then she found herself averting her gaze from his eyes and into his entire face.

She almost melted at the sight. On his face, he had on the most gentle expression Sakura had ever seen. His onyx eyes were looking right at her, and his lips were curving up slowly into a soft smile.

She wished that time would freeze right at that moment.

But unfortunately, he drew his hand back. "I have to go now," he said. "or else the idiot will throw a tantrum."

She giggled. "Yeah, you're probably right." Her expression softened. "Take care, okay?"

He nodded. He picked up his jacket which was hanging from the chair and leaned towards her.

And the next thing she knew, he kissed her.

_Kissed her_.

On the _lips_.

Ever since they had gotten together, they only shared _one_ kiss. That was all since after Sasuke had gotten over his thirst for revenge against his brother (who he had killed accidentally and indirectly), he had second thoughts about loving someone. He had loved his brother so much, he even trusted him with his own life. But all that shattered when Itachi had murdered their family right in front of Sasuke. It was a very traumatic experience for an eight-year-old, so after that incident, Sasuke became cold, emotionless, and unsociable. When he met Sakura four years after, he rebuffed her almost instantly when she professed her love for him. But even after experiencing rejection, she didn't give up. She pestered him on showing more emotion and hanging out with friends. Sadly, all her efforts went to waste when he left Konoha High and transferred to a prestigious school in another country. She had been devastated after that, but when the time came that he returned, she changed her ways. She stopped asking him for dates and such. What she did first was comfort him since she heard about the news regarding his brother who was proclaimed dead. And after a year of consoling him and making him feel right at home, he started to have feelings for her even if he still pushed her away. When he turned eighteen, he bought a house (the money came from his late parents' will) and made her an offer to stay with him since he was no longer a minor now. At first she had hesitated, but in the end, she agreed. After a few months, they went steady.

Sasuke was still uncomfortable in giving affection, and it was understandable since he had witnessed his parents being murdered by his psychotic older brother. He needed a lot of work in getting used to friendly interactions, so Naruto, Sakura, and their classmates/friends helped him get back on his feet. He was grateful for that, but he never showed it.

He was getting better at showing emotions now thanks to them.

And so, when Sasuke pulled away, he saw his girlfriend's expression and fought the urge to chuckle. The look on her face was _priceless_. Her eyes were the size of teacups, her mouth was agape, and her expression was a mixture of shock and bemusement.

"What's wrong?" His voice was laced with amusement. "Do you want another one?"

Sakura turned beet-red. "N-No! I-I mean… I-I… _No_!"

"Is that your way of saying yes?" he asked seductively, a smirk visible on his handsome face.

She pushed him away, blushing furiously as she did so. "_No_!" she said. "Go now. N-Naruto's waiting."

Sasuke shook his head, obviously entertained by her antics, and went towards the front door. He opened it and just before he got out, he waved at her, and she caught the ghost of a smile on his face.

Oh, the little things.

"Be sure to prepare some ramen for tonight. The dobe's gonna need it." He smirked at her. "Later, _hon_."

Sakura felt the blood rush to her face. Flustered, she yelled, "_Don't you kid me, Uchiha Sasuke_!"

**x—XxxxX—x**

**Schizophrenia **- _a long-term mental disorder of a type involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion, and a sense of mental fragmentation._

**Psychosis** - _A severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality._

Sakura stopped reading and closed her book. Her head was starting to ache from too much studying. And since she was also expected to memorize the meanings of the seven psychological disorders listed on her textbook for the upcoming exams next week, it added to her stress.

She glanced at the clock. It was 10:00pm. Sasuke had left for the disco two hours ago, and she wasn't aware that she had been studying that long. Feeling a sense of panic overwhelm her, she was about to grab her cellphone when it suddenly beeped. She stared at it for a moment, then picked it up and placed it next to her ear.

"Hello?" she said tentatively.

"Sakura-chan…?"

"_Naruto_!" She took a deep breath before continuing. "What are you two still doing there? It has been two hours since—"

"Whoa, whoa! Sakura-chan!" Naruto sounded breathless on the other line. His words weren't slurred anymore, meaning that he was actually sober. "What are you saying? What do you mean '_the two of you_'?"

Sakura stiffened. "Isn't Sasuke with you…?"

"That's what I want to talk to you about, Sakura-chan. The disco house caught fire and I barely got out of there. Also, Sasuke… _never came_. Are you sure he left two hours ago? I called you hoping that he's still there…"

Sakura felt like her whole body became heavy, so heavy that she couldn't support herself anymore and slumped to the ground. Her fingers were shaking, and she tried her best not to let her phone fall to the ground. "Y-Yes, I'm sure. Have you tried calling him?"

"…Yes. His phone is… _dead_."

Sakura froze all over. "W-What…? That can't be. It was fine a while ago… This can't be… happening…"

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice was filled with panic. "Get a hold of yourself! He's just… missing."

"N-Naruto…" Tears sprung in the corners of her eyes and fell down to her cheeks.

"Sakura-chan, wait there, okay? Wait for me." Naruto's voice was serious and determined. "Don't leave unless I say so."

"But Naruto…" Sakura said. "How do you know he's missing? Did you search the entire area? Did the ambulance and the firemen get there?" Suddenly all sorts of terrible ideas popped inside her head. "What if he had a car accident? What if he was held up on the way? What if—"

"Sakura-chan." She stopped rambling immediately once she recognized Naruto's tone. It was full of desperation, worry, and panic. "Sakura-chan, _please_. I'm worried sick about him just like you, but you have to calm down. I don't know all the answers yet, but I assure you that tomorrow, I'll go to the police station myself and talk to them about this."

"Naruto—"

"I'm coming over there right now. Wait for me, okay?"

And the line went dead.

**x—XxxxX—x**

The sound of the doorbell reverberated inside her head. Feeling a little dizzy, she made her way to the front door and opened it to reveal a solemn-looking blond-haired boy with a haunting look in his blue eyes. She stared at him for a moment, drinking in his haggard appearance and burn marks. Then she hugged him tightly, tears starting to fall down on her face.

Naruto hugged her back. "Don't worry. It's going to be all right. I'll stay here for a while." He pulled back and forced a smile on his face. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course I don't mind." She gave back a forced smile of her own. "By the way, come inside and let me take a look at those burns."

"I'm okay, Sakura-chan."

"No, Naruto, you're not okay." She dragged him inside and closed the door behind her. She sat him on the couch and went towards the supply closet for the medicine and band-aids.

"Do you think you can stay here tomorrow until I get back from the police station?" he said.

"Yeah, I… think I can manage." She came back and sat next to him. "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm afraid that you would break down in there and humiliate me," he joked.

She smiled sadly. "All right. I don't have any courage to go, anyway. I still can't believe that this is happening and I feel that I should be alone for a while."

"Okay."

**x—XxxxX—x**

_Seven days later…_

"Wait… _What_?! They can't find him?"

"Sakura-chan—"

"Do they really think that paperwork and catching criminals are more important than saving people's lives?!"

"They said that they've looked all over the city, and that there's no hope of ever finding him. They've concluded that since the fire in the disco caused a lot of casualties, then maybe he had never made it out…"

"That's _insane_! They can't just conclude _that_ quickly!"

"They've also proclaimed Sasuke…" His voice trailed off.

She stared at him. "What? Finish it, Naruto."

He looked at her and she felt her heart stop. On Naruto's face was the saddest-looking expression Sakura had ever seen. Suddenly she felt a sense of foreboding.

"He's been proclaimed…" He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "…_dead_."

And Sakura's whole world began crashing down on her.

**x—XxxxX—x**

_Ring, ring, ring_

"Damn troublesome clock…" He reached out for the said object and hit the snooze button. Surprisingly, the ringing sound didn't stop.

_Ring, ring, ring_

Then music followed.

_And I've lost who I am_

_And I can't understand why my heart—_

He flipped his phone open which was on the end table beside the bed and placed it next to his ear.

"Hello?" he mumbled sleepily.

"_Shikamaru_!"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, he groaned and glanced at the alarm clock before saying, "Naruto, it's freaking _six_ in the morning and it's Saturday, so if you don't have anything important to say—"

"Sasuke-teme's been proclaimed… dead." His voice cracked. "And his body's missing."

Shikamaru sat up, instantly awake. "How's Sakura?" he asked immediately. _If Sasuke's dead, then Sakura… There's no telling what she might do._

_Kill herself maybe?_

"She's devastated. She won't speak to anyone. I called you so that you can inform Ino and the others about this. They can visit Sakura-chan, but just one or two at a time because I don't think she can take all of us consoling her in her room very well."

"That's understandable, but… why _me_?"

"Because you're the first guy that appeared on my list of contacts… next to Sasuke."

Shikamaru sighed. "All right, I'll try. I'll call Ino first and tell her to spread the word."

"Okay. Thanks, Shikamaru. I owe you one." He hung up after that.

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**End of ChapI:** My Missing Lover

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**A/N**: Do you mind reviewing so that I will know if I should continue this story or not? Thanks. And give me some constructive criticism, too. I bet that there are so many errors in this chapter.

**Let me answer some of your possible questions:**

_Why are Neji and Tenten engaged when they are still in school?_

That's because Neji's family is very rich, and since they've made Neji the heir of the company, then he should find a suitable wife as soon as possible. So, he chose Tenten.

_Were their classmates aware that Sasuke was missing before Naruto informed Shikamaru about it?_

Yes, they were. They thought he was only _missing_, not dead. So that's why Shikamaru was somewhat surprised when Naruto told him that Sasuke was proclaimed dead.

_Why was Sasuke OOC?_

Well, he was a bit OOC because he was getting better at showing emotions, remember? He had already killed (accidentally and indirectly) his brother, so what was he supposed to do? Still live an isolated life from his friends? Of course not. :)

_Regarding the line that Sakura said: "Do they really think that paperwork and catching criminals are more important than saving people's lives?!". Catching criminals save people's lives too, so why did she say that it isn't?_

That's because she isn't thinking straight. Put yourself in her shoes for a moment. What if the one you love went missing, then he was proclaimed dead? Would you be thinking straight? For me, no. I don't even think that I can live my life happily anymore.

_Is Sasuke really missing or is he dead?_

_That_, my dear, is a _secret_. Sorry, but I have no intentions of giving hints or spoilers. I want this story to be suspenseful. :)

_When will Gaara appear?_

He will appear in chapter three. I am working on character development, so first, in the early chapters, Sakura should first seek the comfort of her friends since it isn't easy for her knowing that Sasuke was proclaimed dead. Then, in chapter three, the real story starts.


End file.
